PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M Mascalchi
AU  - L Ciraolo
AU  - M Bucciolini
AU  - D Inzitari
AU  - G Arnetoli
AU  - G Dal Pozzo
TI  - Fast multiphase MR imaging of aqueductal CSF flow: 2. Study in patients with hydrocephalus.
DP  - 1990 May 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 597--603
VI  - 11
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/11/3/597.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/11/3/597.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1990 May 01; 11
AB  - The signal intensity in the region corresponding to the cerebral aqueduct was evaluated in three patients with noncommunicating tension hydrocephalus (caused by aqueductal obstruction in two and type I Arnold-Chiari malformation in the other), seven patients with suspected normal-pressure hydrocephalus (three of whom subsequently underwent successful shunting), and 10 patients with ex vacuo (atrophic) hydrocephalus. A gradient-echo MR sequence, called fast multiphase imaging, was used. Serial images corresponding to different phases of the cardiac cycle were acquired. No flow-related enhancement was observed over the entire cardiac cycle in the patients with noncommunicating hydrocephalus. Patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus showed a higher aqueductal CSF signal intensity, consistent with increased systolic flow rates, than patients with ex vacuo hydrocephalus. When comparing the above two groups of patients with a control group of healthy volunteers, significantly higher and lower values of the (mean) maximum aqueductal signal intensity were found in the normal-pressure hydrocephalus patients and the ex vacuo hydrocephalus patients, respectively. Fast multiphase MR evaluation of aqueductal CSF flow may help to differentiate patients with different types of hydrocephalus.